At the end of the day, nestled in the old rockin' chair, thoughts of food turn to food for thought and the day's doin's. Yup...tummy's full and chores are done -- time to ponder on this and that before I think myself to sleep...

Monday, August 23, 2010

I'm just wondering… Is there a reason why some drivers can't wait for you to make your turn into a driveway or intersection? I can't be the only one this happens to – am I? Does this happen to you, too? You're driving along, either at or a little above the speed limit and it's dark, and there is someone behind you – well, actually, they are almost in your backseat! Behind that car, is a long highway of empty. There is no one behind them, no one. But, they don't want to be behind you!

You see your turn coming up, your turn signal is flashing, you slow down and begin to apply the brakes. Wait! The car behind doesn't slow down and appears oblivious to your upcoming turn. As you enter the narrow driveway, the vehicle whooshes by, simultaneously, which means they didn't slow down, at all. What is wrong with these people? Do they think I am perfect? What if I didn't slow down enough? They could have hit me. Did they care?

I find it just as difficult to understand people who insist on turning into my lane of traffic within 10 feet of my reaching their intersection. Bear in mind, there is no one behind me, for miles, – probably, all the way to Key West – but that doesn't seem to matter one whit. They wait for me to get closer, then zip out as if there was no other alternative -- like, waiting until I pass. There is no one behind me! Why can't they wait until I've passed and it's safer for everyone?

I used to think this type of driving only happened in the country, but that line is being crossed closer and closer to the urban environment. What are they gaining? Eight seconds? A clear view line? Grrrrr.While I'm on a roll, let's talk about the lines being crossed - the double-yellow lines. Does anyone read the manual, anymore? I've lived, at one time or another, in several different states and I have never seen in their driving manuals that it is okay to cross the double-yellow lines. And, yet, it happens over and over again here in NC. It isn't that I am going too slow – oh, no, I'm doing the speed limit - and, probably, just a little bit more – and it is still not fast enough for them. Are they crazy? Isn't crossing the double-yellow line universally illegal in this country? What did I miss? Do they have a death wish? Well, let me go on record to say it scares the beejeebies out of me and I want it to stop.It happened at least three times to me, last week, but, I can tell you that, as sure as I'm writing this and the sun rises every morning, if I had crossed that double-yellow line, the car I'd be passing would be carrying an undercover trooper. Not that I would do that, but, I'm just sayin'... there oughta be a law!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Why is it so hard to see when one's treasure becomes real trash? I think, because everything starts out so desired, our eyes see the flaws as merely imperfections. Keeping things maintained or refurbished for another use is a trait many prudent people share. That's not a bad thing; it's a rather healthy way of using things.

And, we've all been guilty of having to purchase a new item when the original one is lost midst all our other treasures,too! You know you have it -- somewhere; but, you need it -- now. Of course, you have to get another and, knowing you're double-paying for anything is just plain, well, infuriating. I'm sure that's how spring cleaning got its start. Too small a cabin and too many squirrel skins not being used.

And, if it's not spring, holiday preparation and/or moving is the perfect time for cleaning and gleaning. Sorting can almost be done at one's leisure -- as long as that leisure doesn't span decades! Select a box a week and go through the items, throwing duplicates on one pile, broken items in another and those that you plan to keep in still another pile. If you haven't used it in the past 18 months, the chances are you won't be using it, at all. (I know the experts say a year, but there are seasonal things we use and rotate, so adding another six months on SOME items isn't the end of the world.)

While one man's trash is another man's treasure, there is a time when it's all trash. Don't call Goodwill, AmVets, or any other charity to come get broken items or those with missing parts. Let a trash hauler take care of it.

Working with several organizations over the years, it was appalling to see the number of toys and small items drift in that were in such horrid condition, there was no way to re-use them. Each handed over with some form of the phrase, "Well, I know you have folks that can work miracles with these things before finding them a good home, so I've included them." It doesn't work that way. Not every volunteer is a miracle worker and there's just so much time each can donate. Not to mention the funds to pay for spare parts, paints, etc.

With the holidays coming up, why not go through all your treasures, clean them up, and bring them to your favorite charity for distribution. If it's filthy, broken, with missing parts from another generation, throw it away. That's all you have to do, recognize that your treasure has now become, well, trash, and just throw it away.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Bowling in the daytime is my way of getting exercise and keeping in touch with folks who have no other agenda than getting together for fun. I've been on a Senior league for the past few years and it's wonderful. Gone are the days of nasty competition and always having to be perfect.

Now, I'm not a bad bowler but I won't be going on tour anytime soon. In my younger years, I maintained an average of 155, but now I seem to be stuck around 140. I've lost my four-step delivery and, as a result of back surgery, have created a nine-step-stop-aim-ball-and-throw-at-the-foul-line approach. I work on placement, not speed, and that, apparently, is still the tricky part. I need Post-It notes on my wrist to remember everything to do before releasing the ball!

We just finished summer bowling and my teams placed first on one league and fourth on the other. It's all in perspective. First place was in a league of 14 teams; fourth place on a league of seven teams. On the larger league, I won Most Improved; on the smaller league, I was Most Unimproved.

These are both daytime leagues and don't have anywhere near the stress that you can find on nighttime leagues, when the almost professional bowlers come out to play. I just want to do my best and have fun.

The great thing about daytime bowling is that you can still do evening meetings etc., without always having to line up a substitute. But, the best thing about bowling, for me, is that you can do it at any age and it just makes you feel good. Our oldest bowler just celebrated her 86th birthday. I can only hope that I'll still be doing my share of bowling at that age. What do you do for your own personal fun and exercise?

Thursday, August 05, 2010

After several computer crashes and a move, I was finally able to locate my information on how to access this blog. Truth is, you cannot put your information in a folder on your computer -- you have to record it on a separate document like a file card to be able to remember all your sign-up information to so many web sites. Then, of course, you have to remember where you put THAT!

Since I have a solar cooking blog that limits my posting to that niche, I decided to awaken The Rockin' Chair Reflections Blog for when I'm in the mood to attack a different subject. Sometimes, you just have to vent. Feel free to browse the older articles and make a comment, or two. I may or may not add pictures; it just depends on how I feel about the posting subject.

About Me

Blogging is like a visit with an old friend, where we can give voice to ideas, thoughts, and frustrations that we're not always able to express in our everyday lives. I finally found my old access information and decided to resurrect this blog as the companion to my solar cooking blog. You won't find a lot of pictures here, unless they are absolutely necessary. So, come sit with me by the fire. I've got a nice hot pot of tea and we can let it all hang out. Feel free to share your thoughts and leave a comment on the older postings, too.